Work guide for woodworking machines



Jan. 4, 1938. T. HEDGPETH WORK GUIDE FOR WOODWORKING MACHINES 2Sheets-Shet 1 Original Filed May 2, 1955 j afar: .Tkaxoz L.

j fi y I I r as 39 2 2-11 17- Patented Jan. 4, 1938 NT OFFICE WORK GUIDEFOR WOODWORKING I MACHINES Theron L. Hedgpeth, Oak Park, 111., assignorto Duro' Metal Products .Company, Chicago, 111.,

a corporation of Illinois.

Original application May 2, 1935,v Serial No.

19,335. Divided and this applicationDecemher-31, 1936, .Serial No.118,426

1 Claim.

The present invention relates to work guides for wood working machines,and is particularly concerned with an improved work guide to be used onshapers or similar tools.

The present application is a division of my prior, application SerialNo. 19,335, filed May 2, 1935, for Wood working tools, which hasresulted in the issuance of Patent No. 2,076,511 dated April 6, 1937.

One of the objects of the invention is the provision of an improved workguide for shapers which is adapted to serve also as a guard to protectthe hands of the user from the cutter, and which is alsoadapted toprovide for the discharge :-1. of the shavings or cuttings through thework guide,

Another object of the invention is the provision of an improved workguide for shapers having provisions for adjusting the depth of cut into20 the work piece.

Another object of the invention is the provision of an improved workguide having a rear portion adapted to be adjusted and. secured andhaving a forward portion or section which is 5 adapted to be adjustedwith respect to the rear portion after the former has been secured inplace.

Another object of the invention is the provision of an improved shaperfence or work guide 30 which is capable of inexpensive manufacture andwhich is so constructed as to avoid clogging by chips.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from thefollowing description,

35 in which similar characters indicate similar parts throughout theseveral views.

Referring to the drawings, of which there are two sheets:

Fig. 1 is a top plan view of a shaper provided 40 with a work guideconstructed in accordance with the present invention;

Fig. 2 is an elevational view taken from the top of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view taken on the 45 plane of the line3-3 of Fig. 1 looking in the direction of the arrows showing the detailsof construction of the adjustable front section of the guide;

and

Fig. 4 is a vertical sectional view taken on the 50 plane of the line4-4 of Fig. 1 looking in the direction of the arrows showing the chipdischarge opening in the guide.

Referring to Fig. 1, I indicates in its entirety the shaper which isprovided with a table II s5 supported upon a base l2. The base has asuitable arrangement for journaling the cutter shaft I2 and a suitablearrangement for raising and lowering the cutter shaft with respect tothe top of table II. The shaft l2 and cutter I3 arearrangedconcentrically with respect to an aperture I4 in the table top II.

The shaper is preferably provided with a combined fence and. guard I5which may consist of a cast metal member having a pair of attachingflanges I6, I! joined by an upwardly projecting guard portion I8. Theguard portion I8 comprises a relatively short and wide oval conduit i9leading from the vicinity of the cutter I3 to the leftedge of the tablein Fig. 4. The conduit I9 is adapted to discharge the chips which arere-- moved from the work piece by the cutter I3.

In order to provide for the adjustment of the work guide I5 into closerelation with the cutter I3, the guard portion I8 is provided with asemicircular groove 20 which is of sufficient size to receive the cutterI3 without contact when the cutter is elevated to the top of the guardportion I8 and the guide I5 is adjusted into close proximity with thecutter. The guard portion I8 may extend over at 2I behind the cutterwhile it is narrower at the point 22 to. permit room for adjustment ofan adjustable guide shoe 23.

Both the attaching flanges I6 and I1 are provided with lower flatengaging surfaces 24, 25 located at the elongated slots 26, 21. Theflange I6 extends over behind the cutter I3 that is at the left of thecutter in Fig. 1 and has an upwardly extending flange 28 which is atright angles to the plane of the table top II and to the plane of thesurfaces 24, 25. Vertical flange 28 preferably supports a wooden shoe 29comprising a strip of hard wood which is secured to the flange 28 by oneor more screw bolts and nuts 30, all preferably having their headscountersunk in the shoe 29. The flange I1 is of lesser area than theflange I6 terminating at the line 22, previously mentioned, in order topermit room for adjustment of. the shoe 23.

The shoe 23 is similar in construction to shoe 29, but it is supportedupon a vertical flange 3! by means of one or more screw bolts 32.Vertical flange 3| is a part of a cast metal fitting 33 which has a.diagonally extending socket 34. The socket 34 is adapted to receive thereduced cylindrical end 35 of an adjustment plunger 36. End 35 issecured in place by set screw 3'! and by the engagement of the annularshoulder 38 with the fitting 33. The larger cylindrical portion 39 ofthe plunger 36 is provided with an axially extending slot 40 on itsupper side, and this larger threaded member 43 slidably engages in slot4Q to prevent rotation of the plunger 36.

Plunger 36 is also provided with an axially extending threaded bore 45receiving the threaded end 46 of a shaft 41 which is journaled in acounterbore 48 located in the right end of body Shaft 47 has an integralthrust flange 49 42. located in the bore 4|. The outer end of shaft 41is received in a bore 50 of the crank where it is secured by a cross pin52 that may be riveted in place. The crank 5| thus serves as a thrustbearing engaging the end of the body 42. When the crank 5| is rotatedthe threaded end 46 in the bore 45 causes the plunger 36 to progressforward or backward. This causes the shoe 23 to be adjusted downward orupward in Fig. 1.

The shoe 23 is adapted to engage the flat surface of the work piece 20as the work piece approaches the cutter IS. The shoe 29 may be soadjusted that it provides engagement for that part of the work piece 20which has been shaped.

The position of the combined guard and work fence I5 is determined byits adjustment on the table top H where it may be clamped by thethreaded members 53, 54 which thread into the portion 55, 56 in thetable II. Both guides may be simultaneously adjusted and clamped inposition by means of the screw bolts 53, 54, thereby T making theadjustment of the device faster and saving time in the use of themachine It will thus be observed that I have invented an improved workguide and guard for wood working tools such as shapers, by means ofwhich the depth of cut may be predetermined and the work may besatisfactorily guided during the shaping operation.

While I have illustrated and described a preferred embodiment of myinvention, many modifications may be made without departing from thespirit of the invention, and I do not wish to be limited to the precisedetails set forth, but desire to avail myself of all changes within thescope of the appended claim.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

In a wood working machine, the combination of a supporting table with acombined cutter guard and fence, said fence having an attaching flangeand a guide flange, and having a chip conduit formed adjacent a cuttercarried by said table, said attaching flange having adjustable means forsecuring it to the table, and a plunger housing carried by saidattaching flange, said plunger housing having a bore and a counterbore,

with an annular shoulder betweensaid bore and counterbore, a plungerslidably mounted in said bore, a screw shaft having thrust bearings oneach end of said counterbore, and rotatably 'mounted in saidcounterbore, said screw shaft 'having threaded engagement with saidplunger,

and an adjustable guide shoe carried by said plunger and extending inparallel relation with respect to said other guide flange.

THERON L. HEDGPETH.

